In search of a model for ending homelessness and promoting inclusion

For some homeless people, “three hots, a cot and some assistance” won’t get them off the streets and into permanent housing, according to Pat Clifford, executive director of the Drop Inn Center. Cincinnatians understand that, and he believes that’s what really inspired the Homeless to Homes report produced by the Cincinnati/Hamilton County Continuum of Care for the Homeless.

During a recent interview, Sony CEO Howard Stringer made some comments that suggested maybe some in the corporate music world might just be ready to enter the 21st century. The music industry has become a bit of a joke for its out-of-touch reaction to technological developments

Oklahoma has become the next state to name an official Rock song — hallucinogenic art rockers The Flaming Lips’ “Do You Realize?” (also, coincidentally, the official song of Mitsubishi). It was officially bestowed that honor earlier in the week.

After Punk singer Johnny Rotten left the Sex Pistols, he headed another group called Public Image Limited. Among its hits was the song “Rise,” featuring a verse that included the bellowing refrain “Anger is an energy.” It’s true: Anger can be a great motivator for change. But if that’s all a person or a movement has to rely on, without offering any positive message as a counter-balancing force or goal, they’ll ultimately become bitter and self-destruct.

Scoring glowing reviews in national music magazines for your first two albums might intimidate some artists. But for Wussy, set to release its newest (a self-titled effort) for locally-based Shake It Records, a natural progression and tightness has resulted in its best album yet. The brilliant Wussy will get “CD release partied” this Friday at the Northside Tavern.

They say everyone is Irish on St. Patrick’s Day. You should be so lucky. Being of Irish descent myself, I suppose pretending you’re Irish one day a year is better than nothing at all. But it’s not the same as the real thing, now is it? Ha, there’s nothing like a little ethnic smack talk to get the party going.

As we enter a new year, my biggest wish for Cincinnati’s visual-arts scene in 2009 is a simple one — that we can hold onto what already is here. Lots of people in the local arts are struggling, along with the greater economy, and that puts what they’re doing at risk.

We all have them, even if they’re left unstated. Even if we’ve refused to come up with any this year, they lurk in our subconscious, coming out in mysterious ways like guilt for blowing $50 at your favorite restaurant or for eating a bar of Chocolove for breakfast (welcome to my world).

For better or for worse, I usually end up writing most of the columns in this Living Out Loud space — and that was no different in 2008. Sometimes I think I’ll run out of things to write about, but something always happens. That something is life. If you’re living with your eyes open — or out loud — the well never really runs dry.

Clay Poetry series returns at Weston Art Gallery

Notions of how a voice achieves agency in the world. Its linguistic vitality is incredible. All the things that bring pleasure in poetry are there the texture of a particular voice, complex prosody, anaphor, sophisticated rhyme schemes and explosive punning.